Silver Lining
by azyrian
Summary: Together we'll weather the storms that living will bring our way... They were together through it all. Now the unthinkable, the unspeakable comes to pass and Nightwing and Raven must call upon long discarded alliances to get their life back as it was.
1. Slipping

Allo everyone and welcome 'Silver Lining', ze sequel to _A Time Again._ I hope the wait for this wasn't too agonizing for people, but if it was...that somehow makes me smile. So sit back, blink a few times, and enjoy your read.

Disclaimer: Geez. No one on this bloody site owns Teen Titans (that I know of, and if someone does, I'm hunting them down) so this is basically pointless. Ohyah. And the song 'Silver Lining' will be later on, which I also fail to own. The lyrics will be in quotation marks (" ") because it will be sung.

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**Silver Lining **

**Chapter One: Slipping **

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Raven picked up the remaining wrappers and empty cups off the tables and stuffed them in the trash bag she was holding. Checking her watch, she wondered where the day had gone. It was only 7:30 and Aidan wouldn't be back from her friends' house until 8:00. Sighing, Raven sat down at a table, enjoying the small moment of peace. She smiled contentedly and looked around the shop, noticing odd little things that needed to be done before she left. There were several light bulbs needing changing and the St. Patrick's Day decorations had yet to come down, even though the holiday had been nearly two weeks earlier. Raven was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she failed to notice the short rapid knocks on the glass door. Jerking herself from her reverie, Raven looked up and grinned at Shannon's face peering through the glass.

Smiling, Raven let her friend inside, noting the warm cloud of air that hovered around her mouth. Though the days were warming up as time went by, the evenings and early mornings still remained quite cool, despite the fact that it was early April.

"Hey," Shannon greeted, welcoming the warmth of the shop as Raven closed the door. "You want to go for a drink?" She asked. Well, Aidan wouldn't be home for another thirty minutes and Richard would most likely get home shortly after that, so she smiled and nodded.

"Sure, why not." Raven responded, tucking a strand of her long mauve hair behind a pale ear. "Just hold on a second while I get my coat." She set the trashbag down against a table and walked into the backroom. She returned momentarily and they left, Raven locking the door behind her. "Hang on a moment." She added, walking down the alley next to the bookstore and disposing of the smelly trashbag in one of the large emerald dumpsters.

The bar they walked to was fairly decent, owing mostly to the fact that it was located on a pretty good side of town.

Seating themselves at a small table in a corner, the friends ordered their drinks and began chatting quietly.

"So where's Aidan tonight?" Shannon asked, sipping slowly at her margarita.

"At a friends until eight." Raven answered, also drinking her simple coke and rum beverage slowly.

Shannon only nodded a flicked some of the salt off the side of her glass. "So how are things going Richard?" She asked innocently. Raven groaned silently – she knew exactly where this conversation was going.

"Oh, perfect, actually." Raven answered nonchalantly, ready to zone out whilst Shannon indulged in her boasting. She did this on occasion. It was her mark of pride, her biggest dating accomplishment yet. And, unfortunately, it went to her head.

Her friend grinned. "Perfect? Wonderful. All because of me, y'know." Her grin widened. "Just think of it. If I hadn't bugged you enough to get you to come to that party, you may never have met him."

That was untrue of course, but Shannon didn't know that. All she knew was that Raven was her friend, Richard her boss, and she had set up a match made in heaven.

Neither one of them had ever revealed their past to anyone and had mutually agreed to never do so unless deemed necessary. And just because Shannon believed something other than the truth was by no means 'necessary'.

To tell the truth, neither Richard nor Raven believed that even if they did tell Shannon she would actually accept and believe what they said. So it was better for everyone, in the end.

After defeating Slade for the _third _time, everything went relatively back to normal in Jump City. The police were baffled, of course, by the sudden explosion of Titan's Tower and the abrupt ending of the warehouse bombings, and the citizens relieved.

By 'relatively normal', it's meant that some things, little things, changed. Raven, for the first time in a very long time, accepted her feelings for Richard and their relationship flourished happily.

They were married that April, in the tiniest of ceremonies possible with Shannon grinning with pride the entire time. The pictures were a riot to look at. Shannon had even tried destroying or stealing the embarrassing evidence, but she never succeeded. The happy couple tolerated Shannon's boastful reminders with secretive smiles hiding the truth of their past.

Their first child was born a little more than half a year later; something Shannon noticed with a mischievous smile and offhand behavior. Their daughter, Aidan, was in fact conceived that very night so long ago...Raven smiled slightly at the memory. In an ironic twisted way, Slade was almost to thank for.

Raven thought she was beautiful as Richard said so with a sharp elbow in the ribs. Of course, then she was just a slimy mass of bones and baby fat, but that didn't matter to them then. There was the smallest hint of hair, deep midnight purple in color, and Aidan's eyes were a strange yet entrancing mixture of mauve and swirling grey, resulting in a pale lilac.

Though the mere idea that Raven had gotten pregnant in one try was hardly ignored. She seemed to be outrageously fertile, a fact that Richard humorously commented on later.

And this brought them back to the present. Their anniversary was on the horizon, Aidan was healthy and happy, and Slade as good as dead. Raven smiled to herself as she tried to listen to whatever babble Shannon was rambling on about.

Life was good.

The pair sat, drinking and talking, for a while longer before separating and going home. Raven didn't even get her shoes off before the buzzer rang for Aidan to be sent up with her friend's mother. Raven greeted the woman, thanking her for having to put up with Aidan for so long and said goodbye. Aidan, her long dark hair tousled slightly, scowled and stuck her tongue out at her mother, but then laughed as she hugged her mother's legs.

"Did you have a good time at Jillian's?" Raven asked, combing her fingers through her daughter's hair. Aidan just nodded and smiled.

Raven noticed with a twinge of excitement that Aidan's chakra stone was beginning to appear. She would have to use the same magic to cover up Aidan's as she did to cover up hers. That way, no one asked uncomfortable questions and no lingering fans of the Titans recognized any of them.

"You go get your pajamas on and I'll fix you up a snack, alright?" Raven gave Aidan a gentle shove towards her room as she turned to the kitchen. Aidan's little feet padded cheerfully against the hardwood floors and Raven smiled, beginning to make the snack.

Aidan came skipping down the hall and jumped into the chair as Raven set the sandwich down in front of her.

"Where's Daddy?" She asked through mouthfuls of peanut butter sandwich.

"He said he would be home late, remember?" Aidan nodded, dragging her hand across her face in attempt to remove the sticky peanut butter. "But as soon as he gets home he'll come and see you ok?" Raven added, handing her daughter a wet paper towel to clean her face off with.

Aidan popped the last bit of sandwich into her mouth and rushed off to the bathroom, quite used to the nightly routine to get ready for bed. Raven settled herself down on Aidan's squishy bed and waited for her to come darting into her bedroom and jump onto the bed gleefully.

_"Sometimes it's hard to remember  
When the sky is cold and grey  
That above the clouds the sun is shining down  
In a golden day" _

Little Aidan did just that, snuggling down into her warm covers and holding tight to her favorite stuffed animal, Huggles.

_"So leave your troubles below  
We'll look to the skies above  
Together we'll find  
The sunshine for our love" _

"Would you like me to tell you a story?" Raven asked softly.

_"And I will be your silver lining  
When storm clouds hide the sun  
And you will be my rainbow  
When the storm is done" _

Aidan shook her head forcefully, sucking on the yellow foot of Huggles. "Sing me a song." Raven smiled and complied.

_"No one can see the future  
We can only know the past  
And the lessons we learn from experience  
Are the ones that last" _

Raven hadn't always liked to sing; she had neither the need nor the emotion that needed to be devoted to the songs to sing. It was something she had just picked up after leaving the Titans and found she had quite a knack for it.

_"Together we'll weather the storms  
That living will bring our way  
Together we will  
Find that golden day" _

Aidan listened with rapt attention, mystified and entranced by the glories the song held, but her wide lilac eyes soon began to droop.

_"And I will be your silver lining  
When storms clouds hide the sun  
And you will be my rainbow  
When the storm is done" _

Raven smiled as her daughter drifted further into sleep and she tucked the bedding closer and kissed her on the forehead. She left the colorful room still singing the last bit to herself.

_"Yes, I will be your silver lining  
When storm clouds hind the sun  
And you will be my rainbow  
When the storm is done" _

Raven walked back to the living room and locked the door, yawning slightly. What was today? Wednesday? Thursday? There was a new shipment of romance novels arriving Thursday sometime...

_beep _

Raven snapped out of her thoughts and moved closer to the door. The intervals between the beeps shortened.

_beepbeep _

_beepbeepbeep _

Raven pulled away, realizing what the beeps were coming from. But she was too late.

The entire wall exploded, sending dust, drywall and an odd assortment of items along with Raven backwards with unparalleled force. Raven flipped through the air, collided with the wall behind her and fell to the ground, not moving. The bomb was small, but it packed the proper punch and rocked the entire building. Raven cracked open an eyes, her vision blurred as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her. A dark figure loomed overhead, mocking her, daring her to move.

Her attention was drawn elsewhere as a timid "Mommy?" came from her frightened daughter in the hallway. The figure walked away, towards the child.

Raven's mind screamed with uncontrolled fury and loathing as she fell into misty unconsciousness.

X

Richard pulled up to the lively apartment building just as the explosion rocked it. Several screams rang out as everyone around him stopped their activities and stared up at the building. Richard snapped out of his daze and sprinted up the stairs, fearing the worst.

The hallway was crowded with worried yet annoying onlookers when he reached it. Dust and chunks of wall lay strewn everywhere, and the entire wall to his apartment lay in ruins. Richard pushed past people in a desperate effort to get to Raven and Aidan.

"Did anyone call 911?" He shouted. Mrs. Tess, a crafty old lady from down the hall answered first.

"Yes, they're on their way."

Richard stepped over what was left of the front door, his heart pounding loudly. By the wreckage he immediately knew what had caused this.

A bomb, meant for small explosions and minimal damage in a designated area, had been placed, probably on the door, and detonated. No spark was emitted, so there would be no fire. He knew all of this because he made bombs such as this, only in exploding disks. But they were locked safely away, out of harms reach.

The destruction of the wall and the lingering threat of the bomb unsettled Richard, but the next sight over the threshold devastated him.

Raven lay, covered in debris and dust, unconscious before him. Her form was almost impossible to discern beneath the rubble, but the telltale trail of blood dribbling from some wound gave her away.

He rushed to her side, feeling for a pulse; it beat weakly ender his fingers. Tenderly, he brushed a dust-covered strand of hair from her face, smearing the blood that flowed freely from a large gash in her forehead.

Richard knew enough about medicine to see that this wasn't good. Reluctantly, he left her side to find Aidan. He called softly to her, expecting his daughter to be hiding in her usual spots whenever she was frightened. He checked his and Raven's bed, and then their closet. Nothing. She wasn't in the shower, under her bed or hiding in the laundry hamper. Beginning to grow worried, he checked in cabinets, in the dryer and behind the couch.

Nothing.

Frantically, he searched everywhere again. And again. Nothing...nothing..._nothing _

"Richard, the paramedics are here." The resident party-girl Emily called softly. Even her cheerful spirits were dampened by the recent events.

Richard faltered, torn. Raven needed him. Aidan needed to be found. He couldn't just choose. But he had to.

He couldn't ask for help in the search for Aidan, because somehow he already knew, deep down, that she wouldn't be found in the apartment or the entire building. No, for now, he would go with Raven.

The paramedics had already lifted Raven onto a stretcher and were carefully carrying her out. He followed silently after.

_Nothing...nothing...nothing_

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Holy wah. First off, I am so incredibly sorry for the horrendous wait, though I hope this chapter and the new story should make up for a least a little bit of it. I've been having a good summer, though.

Anyhoo, I realize a lot of questions have been raised, if not, start raising people; they're the only way you're going to get answers aside from my updating. xD And if you ask questions in your reviews, I'll only respond if I think they are exceptionally great. So ask greatly.

Ohyah, the song. We sang it in choir this past school year and I couldn't help but think of the Robin/Raven ship whilst singing it.


	2. Lost

Allo all and welcome to ze second chapter of Silver Lining! Thank you immensely for all that reviewed and I do hope the first chapter was worth the agonizing wait. Though I do think you'll be happy to know that this story will be a doozy, and hopefully longer than its prequel. _And_ with quite a few more lovely plot bunnies and such. –fangirl squeal-

Any guesses as to who kidnapped Aidan? I do fear I'm being a tad bit predictable. Ah well, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Do not make me state the insanely obvious.

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**Silver Lining**

**Chapter Two: Lost**

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Richard rode with Raven in the back of the ambulance and gripped her cold hand as if all life depended on it. Everything in this life _did_ depend on it. The speeding vehicle bumped and jolted uncomfortably over the streets as they sped crazily to the hospital. The E.M.T wouldn't say anything to Richard about Raven's condition, only that she had an obvious concussion and they needed to reach the hospital in all due haste. Richard's fury almost matched his fear when the information was withheld from him.

Several nurses rushed out of the hospital as the ambulance pulled up to the bustling noisy building. Raven was quickly wheeled into the hospital and through the crowded hallways to an empty room. The doctor strode purposefully past Richard as he was not permitted entrance into the room by a squat little nurse.

Richard waited outside that room for a good couple of hours, watching apprehensively as Raven was stabilized and her wounds were seen to. That had to be the longest most excruciating wait in his entire existence.

Finally, the bustle in the room died down and Raven was wheeled out. She was unconscious but she was alive. Richard stood to follow but a man detached himself from the throng and introduced himself as Dr. Yates.

"Is she alright?" Richard demanded hastily. The doctor held up his hand, cutting short the horde of questions about to explode from his mouth.

"Your wife is fine, Mr. Grayson. She will need rest for quite some time, but she'll be fine. She's suffered a large concussion and several minor fractures; two to her ribs and one in her arm, along with a broken ankle. As of now, she is still unconscious from the anesthesia and will be for the next few hours. But you may see her."

Richard visibly relaxed, relieved that the news wasn't any worse. He gave the doctor a short thank you and strode quickly for the room Raven was in.

She was lying unconscious on the bed, rather pale, with the only sound in the room being her regular breathing. The large gash on her head had been stitched up and hidden by a thick padding of gauze. Raven looked fragile and more diminutive than he had ever seen her – a fact that set his heart fluttering with worry. _But she was going to be ok._

Richard pulled up an uncomfortable looking chair beside her bed and sat down, resting his hand on her cool one. Before he knew it he had fallen asleep.

x

Richard awoke with a start; a sudden shift in the dream he was having had distressed him. It was an old reoccurring dream, but one he hadn't had for quite sometime. One with Slade.

He looked up to see if Raven had awakened yet and stood to go get something to eat when he saw she was still asleep.

He returned moments later bearing a cup tea and coffee and some odd looking Jell-o, which he was starting to regret having picked up. As Richard sat back down in the surprisingly comfortable chair Raven moaned slightly and turned her head towards him.

Her eyes fluttered open and for a moment her purple orbs regarded him with confusion. Then her jaw clenched in anger as tears of fury and fear sprung to her eyes. In one swift motion Raven pulled all and any monitor cords from her skin and the IV from her right arm and sat up in the bed.

"We need to leave. Now." She said through gritted teeth. At first Richard couldn't react fast enough; she was awake, she wanted to leave, she looked extremely angry. But he started to protest her movement when she cut him off.

"_Now._" She added again for further affect. Richard frowned.

"First, you need to rest." He said firmly, laying a comforting hand on hers. "Then it's up to the doctor if you can leave.

Just at that moment Dr. Yates walked in the door and stopped, startled at seeing his patient up, let alone awake, this soon. With a small frown set on his rugged face he strode toward the both of them.

"You shouldn't be up. You need the rest. Lie down and let me hook you up to the IV again." Yates said, elbowing Richard out of the way.

A fierce scowl crossed her face but it was gone quickly and she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Could you please excuse us for a moment?" She asked sweetly, the charming smile she had plastered on her face beginning to ache dully. "I won't go anywhere and I'm sure I'll be fine without the IV for a few moment's longer."

Dr. Yates eyes narrowed and he sighed in resignation. "Fine. I'll be out in the hall when you're ready."

As soon as the door closed behind him Raven stood up from the bed and nearly collapsed to the floor, her feet fast asleep from lack of use. Richard caught her before she made contact with the tile and set her gently in the chair.

"What happened to 'I won't go anywhere'?" He asked skeptically, handing her the tea.

Raven pushed it away and tried to stand up again, "You're the one that taught me how to lie." This time she stayed on her feet.

"Was Aidan there when you went to the apartment?" Raven demanded, staring fiercely into his eyes.

All of the color drained from Richard's face. "Oh god. It wasn't...?"

Raven nodded, her face set to stone, "It was."

Now it was Richard's turn to slump into the chair. How in the world could he have forgotten? How in the world was this possible?

"That's why we need to go." Raven prompted again.

"What about you?" Richard asked, his fingers trailing lightly over the gauzed gash on her head.

"I'm fine," Raven took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, "I healed myself in my sleep somehow."

"I thought you couldn't heal fractures."

"Best not to question it." Raven answered, "I'm fine and I'm going." With a quick ivory glow of her eyes the cast around her ankle broke into several pieces and fell away. She gave it a little shake while pulling off the gauze taped to her head. "Come on." She beckoned to Richard and, holding his hand, phased both of them back to the apartment and leaving a soon to be very puzzled Dr. Yates behind.

x

Raven didn't make a sound as she walked over the threshold into a state of exploded chaos. Their entire living room and parts of the kitchen were completely destroyed, the entire wall that held the door in shambles.

But that hardly mattered now.

Richard followed slowly behind, his eyes staring at the floor as Raven ran to Aidan's room and stopped in the doorway. Nothing was different, nothing had been touched, nothing was missing; except the child that made the room bright.

Raven kneeled down and picked up Aidan's favorite stuffed toy that had been dropped; most likely when she had been taken. It was a small and careworn black penguin with a scarf and matching hat and his name was Huggles.

Richard pulled her into a warm embrace as small tears began to trickle down Raven's pale cheeks

After a few minutes of much needed human contact Raven pulled away and wiped any stray tears from her face.

"We can't do this alone now. We're going to need help." She said quietly, looking up at her husband.

He only nodded in agreement.

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Whooza. I hope that was at least a little bit worth the wait. I'm incredibly sorry it's so short, but I felt guilty about going so long without updating that I wanted to get something, _anything_, out there for you guys to read. I believe it will be just barely enough to tie you over until the next chapter, which I hope some of you can predict what is coming. And now some advertisement.

Go read my one-shot, _Armageddon,_ after you review! And don't make me sick Huggles on you...

Right. Until next time.


	3. Alliances

Hello everyone and welcome to the third chapter of '_Silver Lining_'! Thank you to all that reviewed and I hope this chapter is longer than the previous one. Since I'm feeling guilty and I've a lot of ideas for this chapter, I tried to update it as fast as I possible could.

Disclaimer: Completely redundant.

Enjoy.

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**Silver Lining **

**Chapter Three: Alliances **

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Raven took one last glance at Aidan's room before she turned away. It was now or never. She had changed out of the drafty hospital gown and put on her cloak and leotard garb. Surprisingly, it felt good to be back in her old save-the-city clothes. After Aidan had been born she had unofficially retired for the time being and if the city was ever in over its head, Nightwing came back out alone.

Richard pulled her into another hug and Raven returned it gladly. "Good luck." She whispered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful." He returned, smiling.

Raven tried to smile but couldn't, and phased out of the apartment.

x

Raven materialized on a grand stone balcony and breathed a quiet sigh of relief that she had reached her destination without any trouble. She turned her attention away from the figure in front of her momentarily and took in the strange landscape. It hadn't changed much.

The land still bore little to no vegetation and the desolate ground stretched further than Raven could see. The magenta tinted sky held several distorted moons that continuously circled the planet. The land possessed a twisted dead beauty that Raven greatly appreciated, despite the alien appearance. There weren't many that did besides those that lived there.

Raven focused her attention back on the person in front of her and, drawing a deep breath, spoke quietly.

"Starfire?" She hoped her old friend would be understanding and joyful to see her, not angry or cold because they hadn't spoken in twelve years. Because Raven had left.

Starfire snapped back to reality, her calm reverie broken. She turned around, surprised to hear that name. She hadn't been called that since-

"Raven?" Starfire whispered in disbelief. Raven stared at her from within the shadows of her hood, hoping beyond hope that Star would help and understand. A soft wind blew across the barren landscape and gently disturbed Raven's cloak and Starfire's long hair. Finally the static silence broke and the two moved towards each other at the same time and embraced tightly, afraid to let go.

"It's been so long." Raven said quietly.

"Too long." Starfire agreed as they broke apart and settled on the balcony's edge.

"I do not wish to be ungrateful or rude, but why have you come? Why, after twelve years, now?" Starfire asked, staring into Raven's eyes. Raven looked away, the years of guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders.

"I -_we_- need your help." She replied, pulling back the hood of her cloak.

"Anything. But what is it?"

Raven turned back to her friend, every possible negative emotion clearly visible in her eyes. "It's Slade."

Starfire's eyes widened. "But he was defeated."

Raven shook her head, "No. He survived the first explosion and came back five years ago. He tried to kill me and Nightwing but it didn't work. We thought the blast he had caused had finally killed him. But it didn't." Raven took a deep breath to still her heart and her rage and sorrow. "Now Slade's come back and he's more twisted than ever."

"What has he done?" Starfire questioned, her voice deepening with anger.

"He's taken my daughter."

Starfire's mind whirled nauseatingly. Raven had a daughter. But with who? Then she silently chastised herself. Who else?

"Robin?" Raven nodded.

She should have known; nothing in the world could have kept those two apart. But it hurt nevertheless. Regardless, Starfire was happy for them, but the small part of her that still loved Robin hadn't died all those years ago like she was led to believe. Starfire had ruled Tamaran for the last twelve years single and happy. She had learned quickly that there was no man for her on her planet – she had left her heart in Jump City.

"We need your help, Star, desperately. We could take him down by ourselves, but there's a risk involved I couldn't take. And what's more, Slade's taken her for some different purpose other than revenge. And I don't know what it is and..." She looked up at Starfire. "I'm scared, Star. For the first time in years I'm truly scared of Slade and what he might do." Starfire took Raven's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Of course I will help you." She replied, smiling sadly. "We will get your daughter back Raven; I have no doubt about that." Raven smiled as well and hugged her friend closely.

"When can you come?" She asked. Starfire considered this.

"I will have to arrange for Galfore to watch over my people while I am away. I will also have to address everyone on the situation. I shall be only half a day, if that."

"Would you like me to wait? I could phase us both back." Raven offered.

Starfire smiled kindly. "I may have gotten older Rave," Raven smiled at the old nickname, "But I have not gotten slower."

She was right; Raven hadn't noticed before how much Starfire had aged since their parting. She had grown taller and stood a good foot above Raven – though she had always been taller. Her already orange-ish skin shone a vivid even tan that nicely complemented her auburn hair. Star's emerald eyes shone brightly and bore crinkles at the edges from years of laughter and joy. But a sorrow resided behind the joy and Raven could feel that Starfire still, deep down, loved Robin. But the Robin she knew was gone, whisked away in the misty memories of the past.

"I should go." Raven said quietly. Starfire nodded and they both stood.

"I will at the Tower before the sun can sink below the horizon." Starfire responded, embracing her friend once more. Raven nodded and, giving a small smile, phased back home.

Starfire watched her friend go and then silently turned and marched to her room. Two burly guards stood stationed outside her door and she beckoned them in.

"Call an Assembly and find Galfore. It is imperative that I speak with him immediately. I will address the Assembly at half-set." The guards nodded and strode off.

Starfire looked into the magenta sky. Tamaran's largest moon, Xaestra, sat at its highest point in the sky. That gave her three Earth hours until it moved halfway towards the horizon.

X

Because of Richard's peculiar friendships with different people, he had certain connections and extremely useful abilities that allowed him to find anyone in the city without being questioned. When the Titans had been formed, every one of them had to give their full name for record. Well, except Robin, of course. So finding Cyborg and Beast Boy, or Victor Stone and Garfield Logan, had been relatively easy. The little green changeling currently worked at the local zoo and Cyborg owned his own car repair shop.

Beast Boy wasn't at the zoo so Richard tried Cyborg at work. The din inside the shop reminded Richard of the bangs and crashes that almost always came from the Tower's garage. He never expected to miss the sound.

Cyborg was no where in obvious sight so Richard turned to the nearest person and asked where he could be found. A woman, who looked to be about the same age as himself, only shorter, with curly black hair and bright hazel eyes, told him to check the offices. Richard thanked her and entered through the glass doors.

A few people milled about, most likely waiting for their car to be fixed. As Richard was about to ask someone else where Cyborg was he glimpsed the half-robot through the window unloading boxes from a large truck.

Richard walked outside and approached his old friend.

"What can I do for ya?" Cyborg asked, not looking at him.

"I need your help." Richard put simply.

"Well, if it's about your car, I'm sorry. We're really swamped today so I'd try back tomorrow."

"No, no. It's not about my car. It's about, well, it's about Slade."

Cyborg stiffened and turned around, his eyes wide. "He's dead." He answered, "Slade died twelve years ago in an explosion of his own making." Cyborg added robotically. That had been the simple response to all of the presses questions pertaining to Slade's 'death' all those years back, only the 'twelve years ago' had been improvised.

"No, he didn't." Richard said quietly.

"And how would you know-" Cyborg stopped abruptly as he saw who was speaking.

"Expecting a reporter? Or a crazed fan?" Richard asked calmly. Cyborg quickly snapped shut his gaping mouth and turned back to unloading.

"Slade died, man. Just leave it alone."

Richard sighed and walked closer. "Once again, he didn't." Cyborg ignored him. "Did you see those random warehouse bombings about five years back?" Richard took his silence as a yes. "That was him. I saw him with my own two eyes and wanted to kill him with my own two hands. He blew up the Tower." At this, Cyborg straightened as Richard continued. "He kidnapped Raven and nearly killed her for a reason I don't even know." Still no response. "We need your help Cyborg. Please."

Cyborg sighed and gently set down the box he was holding. "I can't man. I just…can't. I left that stage of my life behind and I've moved on." Richard caught sight of a small glint of gold on his ring finger and wondered if his wife was the woman he talked to in the shop. "I disabled my sonic cannon a long time ago. So sorry, I just can't." Richard sighed again and pulled a small slip of paper out of his pocket. "I understand. But if you change your mind, just come here." Cyborg took the paper but didn't look at it. Richard turned away and walked for the door.

"What'd he do?" Cyborg called to him.

"He," Richard started, turning around slightly, "He took our daughter."

Richard didn't see Cyborg pale as he walked out the door.

x

Richard hoped Beast Boy would be more willing to help than Cyborg, though he could understand the half-robot's reluctance. Slade was a matter not to be taken lightly and they weren't kids any more. But now he was relying on Beast Boy. Richard knew Raven would be able to get Starfire, but they needed more people to bring Aidan home safely. And if push came to shove, Richard would hate to half to call on the Titans East, wherever they were, or even worse, the police.

Richard sighed and knocked on the door. Though he hated having to do this, since he had been a real ass at the end of the Titans, the thought of his daughter spurred him on, as did his hatred of Slade.

A small crash resounded from the other side of the door, accompanied by a muffled 'ow' before the door opened. Surprisingly, Beast Boy hadn't changed too much.

He still had his hair, which was undoubtedly a big relief to the changeling, and was still as thin as ever. He had grown a few inches and his spiked green hair helped increase his height a little. He face had matured and his bright green eyes bore more wisdom and knowledge than Richard could ever remember seeing. But that mischievous spark of humor still remained. And it was quite obvious that Beast Boy didn't recognize him.

"Look, whatever you're selling, I don't want." Beast Boy said tartly, starting to close the door. His voice was still much the same.

Richard held his hand against the door to prevent Beast Boy from closing it entirely. "I'm not selling anything. I need your help."

Beast Boy grudgingly opened the door. After finally getting a good look at who he was talking to his jaw dropped a few inches. Now the recognition sprang into his eyes.

"Dude…Robin?" Richard nodded, not knowing what to expect from Beast Boy. It could go two ways: he could have a door slammed in his face or something along the lines of a pleasant or probably uncomfortable conversation. Beast Boy did neither. He just stood there and stared at Richard, thinking him to be the last person he'd ever expect to find on his doorstep.

So Richard spoke first. "Beast Boy, I need you help." The only reaction he received consisted of a quick blink. "It's Slade. He's back."

The green changeling shook his head in disbelief. "Dude, Slade's dead."

"No, he's not." Richard interrupted. It was happening all over again – Beast Boy thought he was crazy and seeing things once more.

"Slade blew up those warehouses. Slade blew up the Tower. Slade was supposed to blow up with our old home but instead he lived. And he nearly killed Raven in the process." Richard could feel his anger and panic rising. Every second spent trying to convince everyone that he wasn't crazy and that Slade _was_ back was another second that Aidan lay in the hands of a madman.

Beast Boy could also tell Richard was getting worked up. "Dude, calm down. I believe you." He said calmly. Richard ran a hand nervously through his hair. "What's he want now?" Beast Boy added.

"I don't know. I didn't know what he wanted five years ago and I don't know what he wants now. But he's taken our daughter." Beast Boy's demeanor instantly became serious. He could tell the situation was dire; he had never seen Robin freak out like this before. Though he would never admit it, the fact unnerved him greatly.

"What can I do?" He asked quietly.

Richard's attention slammed back into focus. "Come with me."

x

Raven had changed from her cloak and leotard and opted for a much warmer and more normal outfit. Richard hadn't returned yet and she hoped he had had similar luck with the two remaining ex-Titans as she did with Starfire.

As time progressed slowly Raven turned her attention to the remnants of the living room. A clean-up crew had been sent be some higher official to straighten up the building's hallway. Now all the evidence that remained of the explosion was the lack of a joyful purple-haired child, the debris in the living room and the large gaping hole in the wall.

Some kind soul had been nice enough to nail a black tarp over it, offering, if not soundproof, some amount of privacy until the wall could be repaired.

Sighing, Raven tied her hair behind her head and got to work on restoring the smallest amount of order in her life.

She worked for a good hour and a half and the carpet began peaking through the dust and debris when Richard pushed the tarp aside and walked in. Raven's breath caught in her throat as Beast Boy, no longer a boy, really, followed.

The two only stared at each other, and Richard at the both of them. A small smile played on Raven's lips, "I'm glad you came." She said quietly. Beast Boy gave her his signature impish grin, but said nothing in return. Nothing needed to be said.

Raven turned her attention on her husband. "Where's Cyborg?"

Richard was about to reply when the tarp moved back and a familiar tall half-robotic man stepped into the room. Everyone's face lit up at Cyborg's arrival.

"Sorry it took me so long." He said, looking at Richard. "I couldn't desert my friends when they needed me."

Richard smiled, "We're just glad you came."

"Hey, where's Starfire?" Beast Boy perked up, looking around.

"She said she'd be here before the sun set. At the Tower." Raven said. "Or what's left of it." She added, her expression sad and her bearing becoming suddenly serious. "Let's go get her."

xxxxxx

Well, there you go. Nearly half of you genius reviewers out there were right on everything. It's Slade. Rawr. The Titans are reunited. Woohoo! Hahaha…but I have a few tricks up my sleeve yet. And I hope to anything worth hoping to that I'm not too obvious and that you guys don't figure it out.

Just be happy that I got this chapter out so lickety-split. I wrote 97 of it in Study Hall and the like. And the next one is fairly plotted out, so look for the new chapter sooner than…something soon. Also expect some Slade appearances that I hope will be sadistic and agonizing for everyone. And maybe Aidan will pop up on the radar somewhere.


	4. Dread

Hallo everybody and welcome to the fourth chapter of _Silver Lining_! I'm quickly running out of fresh things to say here, so maybe I'll just shut up and let you read. Sound good?

Disclaimer: Utterly pointless

Enjoy.

xxxxxx

**Silver Lining **

**Chapter Four: Dread **

xxxxxx

Aidan rubbed her bleary lavender eyes and rolled over, only wanting to sleep a little longer. She had the strangest dream, with a scary masked man and a really big boom in her house. The dream had scared the small child and the more it was thought upon, the more she wanted the comfort of her parents. Sitting up slowly, Aidan tried to get out of her bed but quickly discovered she wasn't in it. Aidan rubbed her eyes again and looked around. Where _was_ she then? Aidan had never seen this place before and she didn't like it. The only light in the room crept into the murky shadows from under the door and through a tiny keyhole.

Aidan crawled to the large door and discovered the ground to be covered with years of dirt and dust. The grey particles covered her hands and knees and tickled her nose uncomfortably. Aidan let out a little sneeze and stood up. The keyhole was just her height and let her see beyond the small room. She couldn't see much, but what did meet her gaze frightened the child. The big scary man in her dream sat reading a very large dusty book. Aidan's breath caught in her throat – her dream hadn't really been a dream. She looked away and sneezed again and when she looked back, something dark blocked her view. Aidan squeaked when she realized what it must be and backed away from the keyhole.

The door opened soundlessly on well-oiled hinges and the silhouette of the man stood in the archway. Aidan swallowed hard and stared defiantly up at her captor. Though he scared her, Aidan didn't dare loose face to him or her friends would taunt her forever for being a coward. And she had to be brave for her parents.

Aidan crossed her arms and put on her fiercest face, which wasn't much. "What did you do with my mommy?" She demanded. The man said nothing. Frustrated, Aidan ran to him and kicked him viciously in the shin – which hurt her more than it did him. "You better not have done anything to her or my daddy will come after you!" The last statement contained less ferocity since Aidan was trying to hold back the tears that had welled at her eyes from her pained foot.

"Your father has _never_ been able to touch me." Slade growled, shoving a small plate into Aidan's tiny hands. He didn't linger another minute before slamming the door behind him and leaving Aidan alone in the dark once again.

The little girl blinked a few times before looking down at the plate. Her entire demeanor lit up as an excited grin spread across her dirtied angelic face. A simple yet delicious looking sandwich stared gloriously up at her and Aidan stared happily back at it. She hoped it was peanut butter, just like she had at home. The sandwich disappeared at an astonishing rate and eased the growling of her little stomach. Now she would have the strength to escape and help her parents.

Aidan sat down on the dusty floor and rubbed her eyes; boy was she tired.

X

The sun peaked gently over the horizon and cast the bare island in the bay in a soft orange glow. Four figures stood in silence as each remembered the times when this was their home and they were each other's families. Each wore their old uniform, with the exception of Raven's altered one and Nightwing's new one.

"I still can't believe it's gone." Cyborg said quietly, staring at the bare spot where the Tower used to stand.

Raven uncomfortably broke away from the group and stared at the darkening sky. It was ironic how this exact location became the starting point for the team's end, and how it now brought them all together again.

Nightwing placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and Raven leaned into him, grateful for the comfort. The sun said its final goodbyes before sinking below the horizon and whisking away its pleasurable light to be replaced with night's shadows.

"Maybe she was held up." Raven murmured, searching the sky. Cyborg and Beast Boy had now joined them and scanned the sky as well. A tiny star moved across the landscape and seemed to grow bigger as it progressed.

"Look, a shooting star." Beast Boy commented, pointing at it.

"I don't think that's a shooting star, man." Cyborg answered. He was right, of course.

Starfire zoomed into view, traveling faster than any of them had ever seen her, and touched down gently on the island's shore.

"I am sorry to be late." She said, stepping forward, her old uniform catching the moon's glow. "But a storm slowed me greatly." Raven smiled, relieved that her late arrival had not been due to a mishap with the Tamaranian people. "It is glorious to see everyone again. But I am saddened that it is due to Slade's horrendous actions."

"Speak of the devil, what do we do now?" Cyborg asked. Raven and Nightwing glanced at each other.

"Well, we start searching the city and checking old haunts for anything." Nightwing answered. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Now, are we going to do this the old fashioned way?" He added, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing his old Titans communicator. Smiles spread across each of their faces as they all did relatively the same thing. But despite the brief moment of joy, no one could forget their reasons for being here and sobered up immediately.

"Let us go find your daughter." Starfire said quietly.

x

Aidan woke up screaming, her entire body writhing in excruciating pain that centered at her forehead. A fog cloaked her childish mind and the little girl could feel – just barely – blood trickling down her face and marring her eyesight. The agony was exquisite; the throbbing torture emanated from the center of her forehead and spread outward throughout her entire body in a wave of silver and bloody terror.

Aidan passed out before she even encountered the worst of it.

x

Raven phased Cyborg and Nightwing back to the apartment before phasing herself off to the industrial area of the city. She knew Cyborg would drive his car and Nightwing would use his sleek black motorbike. The more ground they covered, the better.

Raven wanted to check the old rarely used warehouses first. Slade had always favored them greatly all those years ago, and she hoped he still did. The warehouses now sat unused and mainly empty; the rare few that did enter them either bold or stupid enough to do so. Ever since Slade had placed explosives in them five years back the police had patrolled them regularly for a few years, catching several gangs and making enough drug busts worth enough to feed a third world country for several months. But in this day and age they were left alone to sit and rot until the city decided to knock them down.

The first few that Raven entered were devoid of any sign of mildly intelligent life; the main residents being a myriad of bugs and large rats.

With every building Raven entered and left her resolve and hope began to slowly deteriorate. She knew that this was only one small part of the city, and that her four friends were scouring the rest, but Raven couldn't help her feelings. The city was huge and they were only five people in the midst of all the chaotic mess and Slade could be changing locations with every move they made. Raven tried to strengthen her resolution and think of more positive things – like how she was going to rip every limb from Slade's worthless body when she found him.

Taking a deep breath, Raven entered another warehouse. She only had three more to search and then she could go on to a different location. Rats squeaked in surprise and scurried away from Raven as she walked around the building. Her flashlight barely penetrated the gloomy shadows and she constantly thought the phantasms were more than they appeared to be. Raven turned to leave when yet another shadow moved in the darkness – and this time she was _sure_ she wasn't imagining anything.

Raven could see the barest outline of him in the gloom and when she trailed her flashlight in his direction, he had disappeared.

"Where are you, you lowly bastard." Raven muttered, gyrating on the spot. "What little is left of your wretched soul leaves behind a trail on the air. I could find you in the dark." She added, a little louder.

_"Then why don't you." _Slade delivered a well-aimed kick that deftly knocked the flashlight from her hand. Raven, her anger rising, turned and watched the light clatter away and blink out of existence. With a furious wave of her hand ebony power enveloped the light switch near the door and flicked it on.

Slade stood with his hands clasped behind his back atop a precarious pile of crates; though she knew, with some sour displeasure, that he wouldn't loose his sure-footing.

"What did you do with her?" Raven growled.

"Playing the worried mom now? Touching." Slade answered sadistically. Raven's eyes glowed white and a crate flew through the air towards him. Slade jumped over it, grabbed a chain hanging from the ceiling and gracefully dropped back to the ground.

"Now, now Raven. The last time you attacked me all those years ago I wasn't too fond of it; so I've done my research. A little _reading_, you might say." A black aura surrounded Slade; but before Raven could throw him, it dissipated into black smoke.

"Frustrating, isn't it, not being able to control something." He stepped closer and realization dawned on Raven in an icy wave of cold. Slade reached into one of the pouches on his belt and withdrew a silver chain. Set into a small cage was a tiny black stone about the size of a bean. "Useful, sticking around your father for a short time. One picks up handy things." Raven clenched her jaw in fury and tried to throw him against the wall again. The chakra stone glowed red (_like her own_) and the power dissipated.

"Where did you get that?" Raven snarled, her balled fists crackling with ebony power. Only two ways existed to obtain another's chakra stone, and neither were pleasant things to endure. It could be taken if the person was no longer living or it could be taken by force. Raven didn't want to think of how Slade had managed to acquire one.

"It hardly matters. That certain _someone _won't be missing it." His words were cryptic acid, yet simplistic horror at the same time. Raven had been lifting another crate but it haled jarringly at these words. Her jolt of emotions caused her to lose control of it and the crate crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces. A few unshed tears escaped her hardened eyes and Raven clenched her jaw against the onslaught. Slade gleaned satisfaction from her pain, despite the fact that she tried to hide it.

"Where is she?" Raven asked, her entire aura emanating barely restrained rage.

"Now Raven-" He started. A crate flew at him, dangerously close to hitting its target.

"_Where is she?_" Raven screamed.

Slade's eye narrowed; he had had his fun, but now it was time to go. "Until next time." He hissed, melting into the shadows before she could react.

Raven flung more crates at the empty shadows before she collapsed to her knees, screaming in agony, frustration and pure terror for her child.

x

Oh wow was that fun. I had originally planned to have another page after this, but I decided to be mean and have a little fun at the same time and just let everyone _guess_ why certain things happened and what this means. But boy is the next chapter going to be _fuh-un._ I really hope that this curve-ball I've planned won't be expected, because that would just blow the wind right out of my sails. Well Anyhoo, drop a review and yell at me in indignant horror if you'd like, or some other synonyms of various power.


	5. Elusion

Hello everyone and welcome to the fifth chapter of _Silver Lining._ I hope that you all enjoyed the last chapter, because I certainly enjoyed the reviews. There's no possible way that me having this much fun at your guy's expense can be anything near legal or humane. Ah well, the show must go one nonetheless.

Disclaimer: Totally irrelevant.

Enjoy.

xxxxxx

**Silver Lining **

**Chapter Five: Elusion **

xxxxxx

Nightwing stepped silently around the tarp and approached Starfire and Beast Boy. Cyborg followed shortly after.

"Raven's not back yet?" Nightwing asked. Star and Beast Boy shook their heads. "Maybe she has located the whereabouts of Aidan or Slade." Starfire offered, shrugging. He turned to his half-robotic friend.

"Cyborg, can you track her location just in case?" Cyborg nodded and pressed a few buttons on his arm.

Worry beginning to show on his face, Nightwing pulled out the useful communicator and tried contacting his wife.

"Raven? Have you found anything?" No response came from the other end. Nightwing tried again. Once more the screen remained blank. His brow furrowed deeply in his concern and he turned to Cyborg.

"She's on the east side of town. By the warehouses. And she's not moving." Cyborg said, his, looking up from his arm, the worry etched on his dark face mirroring that of Nightwing's, if not to a lesser degree.

"_Shit._" Nightwing muttered, walking out of the apartment. "Let's go."

Nightwing had never driven so fast in his life. He took alleys and toads less traveled to avoid the police. Cyborg hade sent Raven's location to his communicator and he quickly approached his destination. Nightwing knew that jumping to conclusions would do no good, but one could never be too careful when Slade became involved. And to make matters worse, she had stopped at the warehouses and that in itself boded ill. He swerved to a grinding halt, the tires on his motorcycle kicking up dirt and rocks. Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy weren't far behind.

Nightwing burst through the rusty doors of the warehouse and ran around, calling Raven's name. Nothing.

_Not again._

He pushed through another set of doors and stopped. Raven sat, huddled in a tight ball in the middle of the floor. He ran over and knelt beside her.

"Raven? Are you all right?" He lifted her chin and held her head in between his hands. Her eyes possessed a hollowed look and her skin glimmered paler than ever.

"He's taken out her chakra stone," Raven answered dully, her voice hoarse and empty. Nightwing's mind reeled – he had no clue that something like that could be done.

"But how could he?" Raven looked up at him.

"She'd have to be dead or too weak to resist." Nightwing felt the room spin for a moment, "But Aidan's alive, I'm sure of that much." Raven stood and hugged him fiercely. "Oh god," she said in to his chest, her words muffled, "She's alive, but she's in so much pain. I can barely feel her heartbeat any more. This could kill her Richard, it truly could."

"But what would he want with her chakra stone?" Nightwing asked quietly.

"I don't know. But it neutralizes my powers without the control of a mind and he's using it against me."

Nightwing frowned, "How can we counteract this? We've scoured the city with no sign of either of them. Slade could be anywhere."

Raven drew away and stared into his masked eyes – though the emotions emanating from him were still clearly visible. "I know. It's just-" She sighed, "I have hope, and an idea. But I need to read a little. And hopefully that will enlighten me some." Nightwing gave her a confused look and just nodded.

"Let's go back. We won't find her tonight anyway." He said, draping an arm around Raven's shoulder and leading her out of the warehouse.

The rest of the ex-Titans stood solemn and silent at the warehouse doors. Their momentarily brightened faces drooped as only Raven and Nightwing stepped outside. No Aidan. Of course, it would never be _that_ easy. Silently, each drove or flew home and Starfire followed Raven and Nightwing, seeing as she had no where to stay.

Despite the precarious situation, Raven felt trickling tears of hope slide down her face, only to be whipped away by the wind. Though deep down, her insides tightened nauseatingly in apprehension at what her small flickering flame of hope could eventually entail.

x

Raven stared blankly at the lightening shadows that danced about the bedroom. Though Richard's warm body next to her usually held some comfort, Raven still shuddered slightly from a passing chill. Her night had been almost entirely devoid of sleep, despite her exhaustion; both mental and physical. And if sleep did embrace her, the time passed with horrific fiery dreams of the long-since-passed end of the world, coupled with her fear of what the future held. Finally, her patience wearing past its breaking point, Raven slowly climbed out of bed. She shivered again and dressed herself in a simple long-sleeved navy shirt and grey pants. Slowly, so as not to make a sound, Raven rummaged around in her closet until she found what she had been searching for. A box; simple in creation yet complex in design – and no one could open it but her.

Raven gently touched the metal keyhole and a small flare of her power unlocked the necessary gizmos and the box emitted a soft 'click', telling her that it had been successfully unlocked. She reached inside and removed her ornately fashioned mirror; the only solid and substantial portal into her mind.

Raven slowed her breathing and stared into the silver glass. The last thing she glimpsed before being hurtled through oblivion was a swirling black claw pull her into the mirror. Raven threw out her arms to steady herself as the churning claw released her in the middle of the rocky terrain of her mind. As she expected, all of her emotions in their designated colored cloaks stood still and silent in a circle around her. Raven turned around and Intelligence stood before her, a large worn trunk sitting at her feet.

Without a word, Raven strode forward and knelt before the trunk, unlocking it like she had the mirror-box. Stacked haphazardly inside the trunk lay several thick and dusty volumes – each containing priceless information and spells used in both war and teaching. These were the most important books hand-selected from the sacred library on Azarath and entrusted into her care with only one explanation.

_If there is anything in all the galaxies to help you child, it would be in these books. Trust them, but do not depend on them, and keep each secret and safe._

One of the women in charge of training Raven in her powers and the only mother-figure in her life had said these words shortly before Raven fled Azarath. She had looked at them occasionally over the years, yearning to discover _anything_ that might stop her father from destroying the world, and had locked them safely away in her mind when that end had come ad gone. Now, she hoped more than anything in the world – universe, even – that they held the vital information in saving her daughter and figuring out Slade's plans.

Raven gently lifted one of the larger and more aged-looking books and settled it in her lap. The volume was bound in sturdy grey leather, though even that had taken a blow from time. It possessed no title that Raven or any other soul could discern – that piece of information had been lost centuries ago. Though for the entire book's amazing range of knowledge, Raven found nothing of value to her current situation.

The same went for the next three books, and even though there were seven in total, Raven couldn't help but feel her hope dwindle slowly.

She gently hefted the fifth book from the trunk, ignoring whatever title may have been given to it, and opened it with less care than usual. Using her powers, Raven flipped through the chapters and read the titles off in her head. _Potency spells, healing aids, reincarnation, chakra stones..._ Raven halted her search and the dusty pages settled slowly.

Squinting painfully, she began to read the spidery script, now faded slightly from old age. Raven could instantly tell that all this strained reading would give her a grandmother of a headache later on. Sighing, she marked the end of the chapter – a lengthy seventy or so pages – and began the tedious but important process of reading.

Thankfully, the kind soul that had originally scribed the volume seemed to value organization and had labeled each section in the chapter according to what it held. Because of that, Raven had been able to skip nearly half of the chapter and cut her headache time in half. Her hope had been in jeopardy of flickering out of existence all together as she neared the end of the chapter. But of course, the penman _had_ to place some of the most essential information in Raven's life _at _the end of the chapter. The irony didn't fail to pass her by.

_Chakra stones, in the most simplistic of terms, are the essence of the bearer's power. Instead of the common belief that the chakra merely _controls_ ones powers, the opposite of this is the real truth. The person may carry magic in their blood and it may be kept in check with the aid of the chakra, but it is the chakra _itself_ that holds more power than the person. This power can be tapped into in the early or late stages of adulthood, but it is _imperative_ that only a person of great magical skill and control is to attempt this. Any otherwise could mean disaster for the person and even more frighteningly – others. It is possible – ever terrifyingly so – that this power can be controlled by another, but it is a terrible feat and thing to do. If the chakra stone were to be removed from one's forehead by another, that other individual could tap into and fully access the realm of unparalleled power and use it for their own devices. Because of the chakra's separation from its host, the unconscious control that existed before over the unbridled power would be cut, thus releasing the constraints and making the power available for any that would seek to use it. Bound, the chakra has a Positive charge, allowing the power to lift or go through objects; but alone, the stone possesses a Negative charge and the ability to neutralize any other powers connected to chakra stones. But this process is risky and seen as a heinous act of unforgivable proportions. To remove a chakra stone from any living being is to experience pain beyond any measure..._

Raven stopped and massaged her temples slowly. The book had all but outlined the exact way to extricate a chakra stone; which just happened to be as simple as plucking it from the host's forehead. Was there another book out there, flaunting this information? Or did Slade have a copy? As far as Raven knew, there wasn't another duplicate, but her knowledge on the book went about as far as her knowledge on Slade's malevolent plans. But if he had access to a book such as this, there was no telling what he could be up to. The possibilities were seemingly endless.

Raven flipped through the volume thoughtfully – noting each of the chapter titles again. This had to be one of the most powerful books of the lot she possessed – the information in it being priceless and valued exceptionally high. Raven shuddered, fearing the probabilities. She lightly skimmed the rest of the chapter, but no conclusive information danced before her.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to knead out her frustration and pain – a trait that had unconsciously passed down to her daughter. Raven was loath to pick up the final two books and read over them, but the situation called for a lot of things she didn't exactly want to do. Of course, the remaining tomes held no further insight into Slade's plans; though she never really expected them to in the first place. Though the books failed to help her directly, Raven knew now that _somehow_ Slade had access to this type of intelligence and he was using it enthusiastically.

By this time, all of the rest of her emotions had left the circle and returned to their separate realms, leaving only Raven and the trunk of priceless books. She had no idea how much time had passed in the conscious world, but Raven knew she had to be getting back. As soon as she stood, Intelligence materialized on the other side of the trunk.

"Well, what do you think?" the emotion asked. Raven sighed and gently placed the books in the rugged trunk.

"I think that no information, however much of it I may have possessed, could help be discover Slade's plans. At least, not until he wanted them known." Intelligence nodded and disappeared with the trunk at her feet.

Sighing, Raven closed her eyes and withdrew herself from her mind.

She landed, rather hard, on the floor of her bedroom, the hazy light filtering through the curtains shining in her eyes. Raven peered at the clock on the nightstand. The hour was nearing four – she had been reading for more than half of the day. When she stood up, Richard had come up behind her, looking as exhausted as she felt.

"We looked while you were gone, but still nothing." He said simply, "You hungry?" Raven nodded slightly and followed him out of the room.

A terrible smell radiated from the kitchen and Starfire stood at the stove. Raven hadn't spelled something that awful since Star had attempted to make dinner all those years ago. Apparently she was doing the same now.

"Grilled cheese and mustard sandwiches," Richard whispered to her, "I can't say I've missed it." Raven gave him a tiny smile, knowing that he did despite the grotesque odor.

"Friend Raven," Star exclaimed, smiling at her, "Have you found useful knowledge from your books?" Raven kept her distance from the stove and shook her head lightly.

"Nothing of substance, though I'm sure Slade has a book like mine and that's how he knew to use the chakra stone." Though neither Star nor Richard really knew the power her books contained, they were both smart enough to know that the prospect was anything but comforting.

"I wish I could track her," Raven muttered quietly, "Without the chakra stone her power is too weak to trace. I'm positive Slade knows this so he is undoubtedly on the move." She absentmindedly walked to the window and looked down on the bustling streets below. The day was cloudy and a little windy; its static tune matching Raven's gloomy mood.

"Could you not just halt time like you have done before? That way, Slade could not move and could be found." Raven turned and stared dumbfounded at Starfire. _Of course._ The solution was quite simple and she couldn't believe it had been overlooked. Then a depressing thought came to mind.

"But Slade was able to move through my time-block last time." She added dully.

Starfire frowned. "That could only be because he possessed power from your father."

Raven looked doubtful, but at this point, _any_ idea was worth exploring. "All right. Get Cyborg and Beast Boy over here and I'll do it."

Several minutes later all noise coming from the streets ceased abruptly; every human and animal still, the city on pause. Slade looked up from his work, a menacing smirk invisible beneath the mask. She was learning. They were coming. _Let them come, the child is of no use to me any longer..._ It was time to take his plans into the next step.

xxxxxx

And there you have it. I realize this chapter was rather dull and sort of a filler-thing, but it was definitely necessary. There are some rather huge (well, I think they're huge) hints in here as to what Slade's plans are, but of course, that would take a lot of jumping to conclusions to figure then out, so perhaps you won't. If you do, I won't tell you if you're right or not.

Also, everyone that reads this chapter needs to visit my information page thingy immediately after reviewing and whatnot. There is some extremely important information residing there and it needs to be seen by everyone. Tahtah!


	6. Longing

Greetings everyone and welcome to the long-awaited sixth chapter of _Silver Lining._ Sadly, I feel little remorse for keeping everyone waiting for so long without an update, but let's just pretend I am sorry. If you read my info page, you'll know that NaNoWriMo went well. I just finished editing the novel several days ago and hope to actually do something with it eventually. Well, enough about that jabber. Let's go on to more awaited things.

Disclaimer: SRSLY??!!!shift11! (that was my sorry attempt at being humorous)

xxxxxx

Silver Lining

Chapter Six: Longing

xxxxxx

She blinked once. Then once again. The pain she had grown to know and expect had died down to a dull throb. Her eyelids drooped, weighed down by the exhaustion that had come to be as continual as her pain had been. Her entire little body ached but the feeling had been pushed to the back of her mind along with her hunger and thirst. Certainly, she was given food and drink, but not as much as her body desired. The ground felt cold and rough underneath her and bumps dug into her back uncomfortably. She had been moved. She could no longer remember how long she had been in her current state or how long it had been since she had been taken - not that she could tell in the first place. But for all of her exhaustion and hunger and pain, she felt calm and…_unnatural._ She was in a state not felt by most adults ever in their lifetime and here and five year old child had accomplished that much. Though it was not a feat to be proud of. This emotion or state could only be achieved by traveling through great darkness and hanging in the balance of Death and Life with the smallest strand of hope keeping you alive.

Aidan's hope were her parents. She _knew_ they would come for her, _knew_ that the terrible man that had done this to her would be defeated. There could be no knowing how this whole ordeal would affect the child in the future - one could only hope it would not be for the worst.

Her eyes focused as she blinked the sleep and fatigue from them. She could only see so far; a lantern had been placed on the outcropping of a rock to illuminate the shadows of the cavern. That's where she was - a cavern. Aidan had read about them in her books and had heard her mother talking about them once. They were cold and dank places where creepy bats and dangerous secrets and plots resided. Some things remained the same forever.

From her position on the cool rock she could see a pair of metallic boots and when she looked up, the rest of the man that had altered her life forever. The light cast dark shadows against his face - his mask - and made his one good eye glow. If she twisted her head, she could see a large boulder. No - boulders weren't smooth like that, if her tiny mind could remember correctly. But what did it matter? Boulders were boulders and this boulder happened to be smoother than the rest. Another person was there with them standing oddly atop the rock and not moving. Aidan glimpsed a third figure laying on the floor several feet from her in a lump

The man that had kidnapped her began to speak, chant really, and his arm was outstretched at the second being, who continued to stand immobile. The floor around the second figure began to glow, casting darker and more sinister shadows on the caverns ceiling and walls and the man. His hand began to glow with a sickly yellow light that quickly began to brighten. Aidan felt her heart rise to her throat and she wanted to scream in her fear, her unnatural fear, but her body would not respond. The air began to buzz and twist, as if the atmosphere were breaking, threatening to swallow them all. His chanting grew louder, more bold and energetic. More expecting. Aidan felt the world cracking and her fear threatened to overtake her small mind. The child kept her thoughts on her parents, on their love and comfort and her hope and determination. A resounding crash rang through the air; it sounded as if the rocks around them all were cracking and falling with the world.

The figure to her right began to glow that sickly yellow, such a dark tone it was almost brown like the earth. Aidan's vision grew cloudy, obscured with such a bright and pure yellow that it appeared white. She couldn't understand what was happening, couldn't comprehend what was happening. The light grew brighter before it was absorbed by her body in a violent crescendo that threatened to destroy her.

All of the sudden, a _presence_ wrapped itself around her mind and her soul and her body felt…crowded, almost overflowing. She screamed, her body finally responding to the terror reflex. The sound quickly died, quenched by her more…surprised fear. Aidan felt smaller, more insignificant and she felt like she was fading into the background, farther than the recesses of her mind and deeper than the corners of her soul. No matter what she tried to do, the feeling overwhelmed her and she was powerless to stop it. But she would not give up without a fight.

The second figure had disappeared and the third began to stir and then stood. "Glad to see me?" It said.

"Like never before." The man paused, staring at the third figure, a woman by her voice, "We have unfinished business, you and I." He stated. Aidan could not see her face but knew a grin resided there by her tone. She seemed excited, eager.

"Yes. And I have been waiting far too long for this day." She looked down at her drab clothing. "I do hope you have something more…menacing than this."

"Certainly." They disappeared from her shrouded view, though Aidan no longer cared. She was drowning in her body and mind and though determined, was powerless to halt the outcome. She screamed, though no sound issued forth from her mouth. Indeed, it was no longer her mouth to control, though it had been hers all of her life.

The terror beleaguered her mind beyond the brinks of consciousness and her mind succumbed to the blissful world of silenced darkness.

x

Raven blinked, her eyes trailing on her frozen companions. Pressure disturbed her ears, the silence dancing about her almost deafening. The traffic was still, birds stopped in mid-flight, children halted in their play. Animals were stalled, clouds motionless, heartbeats stationary. All except her own.

The day the earth stood still. For sure.

She ignored everything around her and turned her attention back to her friends. Time was of the essence, when it was in motion. Her hand rose to gently touch each of their chests, where their hearts resided. It lingered on Nightwing's for a moment before he too came back to life.

"It worked, then?" Beast Boy asked calmly, glancing out the window.

Raven shrugged, "For everyone else, yes. For Slade…we'll soon find out." Everyone shared a quick glance. Her maternal instincts took over in full force and what little leadership that had rubbed off on her from Richard over the years clawed its way to the surface. "Spread out, find Slade. I'll be on the roof, searching for Aidan. If anyone finds Slade, _do not _harm him. _He is mine."_ Her eyes flashed madly and met everyone else's. None objected to her wrathful vengeance.

Nightwing tarried a moment as everyone else left the apartment. "Good luck." He whispered, kissing Raven soundly. She said nothing as he walked out of the building.

Raven quickly phased up to the roof, staring coldly at the city from her vantage point. She crossed her legs beneath her and floated above the dirty roof, her eyes closed and searching. Almost the moment she began her hunt Raven knew Slade had been unaffected by the time freeze. But she did not bother to tell the others - they undoubtedly knew that he had stayed mobile despite the chance that he had been frozen with everyone else. It was to be expected that that little thing would go to his favor.

Her thoughts moved to Aidan; her heartbeat, her eyes, her mind, her hugs, her soul, her hair, her smile. Everything swirled in a ferocious torrent of images, feelings, thoughts and words as she focused all of her energy and power on her child.

Raven blinked. She had found her. _Alive._

She grabbed her communicator and patched through to everyone. "I know where she is. Go to the east of the city, Center and Front street. I'll meet you there." Her heart pounded in her head, matching the beat of another's. "Slade is there too, somewhere. Look out for him." She didn't wait for a reply and flew off of the roof and through the city faster than she had ever moved before.

The rest of the ex-Titans followed her on the ground or in the air, forming a wicked battlefront and line of enraged soldiers. Rave touched down to the ground violently, stirring up a cloud of dust in her haste.

"Wait here," She growled, "Aidan is below us in some underground facility. I'll be fine." She added forcefully as Nightwing was about to suggest accompanying her. Her eyes glowed briefly before she disappeared beneath the asphalt.

Darkness enveloped her when she arrived at her destination and Raven pulled out her flashlight and trailed it around her. In the corner, huddled and bedraggled, was Aidan, her head resting in the crook of her arm. She looked terrible and small and fragile and Raven's fury rose almost beyond control.

She ran to her daughter, "Aidan!" The child looked up, her eyelids sagging and her face covered in dirt and blood. A hole gaped in the center of her forehead where she chakra stone should have been. Raven hugged her tightly and didn't waste any time getting out of there - Slade would be dealt with later.

She reappeared on the pavement and set her daughter on the ground. Everyone crowded around, afraid to touch her for fear that the small child might break.

"Aidan, honey? Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere besides your forehead?" Raven asked quickly, brushing Aidan's hair from her face. Aidan's lavender eyes stared up at Raven's, puzzled and frightened.

"Raven?" She asked, but not in the childish voice of Aidan, but in the voice of another.

"Missed me Titans? I never expected a welcome back party, but freezing the entire city seems a little much."

Everyone's gaze, excluding Raven's and Aidan's, shot upwards toward the speaker - the woman standing upon a rock.

"_Terra?_"Beast Boy and Raven said in unison, one in shock and one in horror, Raven's a frightened whisper and Beast Boy's an exclamation of disbelief.

"The one and only, dear Beast Boy." Terra came into view, standing grandly on top of a large hovering boulder.

But this was not the Terra they had once know, no. _This_ Terra was older, more powerful and more deadly. Gone was the scared and untrained teenager they had come to love and trust all those years back. Here stood a woman, the same age as them, only colder and darker and more formidable. Her eyes were deep, agonizingly chilly and soulless, icier than the depths of the deepest ocean. They betrayed fury, resentment and a power that chilled each of them to their very core. Her hands crackled with her restrained power, the nimbus now a noxious yellow that matched the color of the sun if it were diseased. The rest of her body had lost the gawky structure of adolescence and gained the buxom figure of a grown woman, beautiful in her deadly manner. Her face had even out, paler than before, but no longer angled sharply and proportioned oddly. She wore a different costume, one that closely resembled Slade's. Her small feet were clad in solid black boots, sleek and shiny in the sunlight. Tucked into the shoes were black pants, coupled with guards on her shins, knees and thighs. She wore no belt. Her top was split down the middle; the right colored in yellow, the left in black. Gauntlets were tied to her arms and shoulder plates glittered on her shoulder. Her top was cut low; not overly revealing, but low enough to compliment her figure. The entire outfit seemed to have been created to mock the one that Robin had been forced to wear all those years back. The efforts did not go unnoticed.

Terra grinned wickedly, her eyes flashing, "What? Not happy to see me? A shame." She raised her hand, poised to attack.

Raven growled and enveloped everyone in her power before phasing them all back to the apartment.

Terra laughed, the sound echoing off of the still streets.

"I know how much you wanted a fight," Slade commented, walking from the shadows of an alley where he had been watching, "But give them time. Raven's shock at not having her daughter truly with her will wear off quickly, and then she will be prepared for revenge. I expect you shall have quite fun."

Her grin did not lessen. "Let her come. My weaker counterpart will be left alone, no doubt, and then I shall kill her. You'll be a good enough distraction while I do it." Terra turned to him and jumped off of the boulder, which crashed to the ground. "And then, with _her_ out of the way, the rest shall be easy enough to destroy."

xxxxxx

-happygrin- I'm pleased with this chapter. And I wrote it all in one night, as well. I may come back and edit it later since I left my notes I had written on it at my mom's house. But no matter, you have your chapter. And just in time for the new year! I do hope Terra was a surprise. That was my curveball, the inevitable plot twist that will dramatically alter any of your speculations. At least, I hope it will, since that was my plan. -giggles- I really can't wait for your guy's reviews. I really hope everyone liked it. I know Aidan might have seen a little bit beyond her age, but I believe that pain and terror will change people, no matter their age. Make them wiser, hopefully, and more grateful, strong and cold. Perhaps it will change, perhaps it won't. Who knows?


	7. Insinuation

Bwaha. Bwahahahahaa.

xxxxxx

**Silver Lining**

**Chapter Seven: Insinuation**

xxxxxx

Raven's mind whirled almost too much to get everyone safely back to the apartment. Terra was back. That thought echoed in her head and resonated louder than blaring trumpets in her heart. She was back, but in two forms. The beautiful, deadly woman that had approached them and the person inside her – her… Raven couldn't bear to think of it. How had it happened? _Why _had it happened? What did it mean? The hundreds of questions roiling about in her mind gave Raven an immense headache – and all of this in less than a minute.

She felt the earth solidify beneath her feet and the darkness enveloping all of them lifted. Instinctively, she'd clutched her daughter to her in the frenzied moment of transports. She set Aidan – no _Terra_ – down immediately and backed away from her, wrapping her arms around her waist. What fear and horror that snagged her heart in its icy grip now shone clearly in her eyes. Raven swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and she blinked the tears from her eyes. Her jaw clenched in anger – Terra had come back, a wonderful thought, but at the expense of her daughter. There was no way in _hell_ that Raven would stand for this. She loved Aidan more than anything in the world - that small child was her _entire life_ - and to have her taken, possibly dead, hurt more than any physical injury she had ever sustained. She would rather die than see Aidan hurt, but now more than ever, Raven wanted to kill _anything_ that stood in the way of getting Aidan back.

Her purple eyes stared coldly at the lavender ones set into the face of her daughter. Nightwing glanced at Raven and started forward for Aidan, unsure of what had transpired.

"No," Raven growled, extending her arm in his direction, hand held to signal for him to halt.

"Raven, she's hurt and hungry, what's wrong with you?" Nightwing said, staring at her, itching to aid his daughter. Raven glared at him.

"No," she repeated, her gaze trailing back to her, "That is not Aidan."

"Raven," Nightwing protested.

"She's right, Robin." Everyone gasped, excluding Raven. Aidan – no, Terra – looked at each of them, her expression sober. "I'm not Aidan, at least, in mind and soul." Terra said quietly, her voice almost unchanged from her teenage years. Though now it was richer, but sadder. "That's your daughter, right?" Nightwing nodded, his masked eyes wide and confused. "I don't know what happened, but I can guess that Slade had something to do with it." Terra said apologetically, though a spark in her – _Aidan's_ – eyes held untold joy at being alive once more.

"You said there was no way we could get her back." Everyone turned and stared at Beast Boy, whose eyes were laden with anger and anguish. And something more – the cold, stinging wound of betrayal. The cold wave of realization dawned on Raven.

"Beast Boy…"

"You said you couldn't help her, that there was no way to!" Beast Boy shouted, his fists clenched at his side, itching to strike something. "If there was nothing you could do, then why is she back? Did you not have enough power? Enough _incentive_? Did you even _want_ her back?" Raven took the words as if he physically hit her – she wished he would.

"Beast Boy, let me explain…" She started, hoping he would listen to reason, despite his grief being so fresh and consuming.

"Explain. Yes, please _explain_ this to me." He spat. Everyone looked to her, sadness and puzzlement written on their faces.

Raven sighed, "I know I said there was no way to bring Terra back," She paused, her voice thick with her sorrow and anger of Aidan's absence.

"And yet there is," Beast Boy muttered, glowering.

"I know there is, ok?" Raven hissed, not wanting to shout, "But I lied. I lied to do what is _right._" If looks could kill, Raven would have been dead in a heartbeat.

"So you didn't want to bring her back! You could have helped her and you _didn't._" Beast Boy exclaimed, striding towards Raven, looking the entire world like he was going to strike her. He withheld.

"No!" Raven shouted, "I couldn't have helped her! Yes, I had the power and yes I had the means, but the spell required a human host, a fucking _sacrifice!"_ And for the first time in quite a while, Beast Boy truly understood. Had she been able to help Terra, Raven would have done so without hesitation or prodding from her friends. She had trusted Terra, grown to think of her as a friend; probably the closest friend she had gained in a while. And though that trust had been questioned and shattered when Terra turned to Slade, it still remained, even after Terra was enclosed in her rocky tomb. He could see that she felt terrible for not being able to help, not knowing the way to help; and though she would not admit it, his comments had hurt her.

"I'm sorry," Raven said, her tone back to its normal level and her eyes searching his, pleading for him to understand. "I wanted to help her, I truly did, but how could I decide if one life was more valuable than another? How could I even be sure that it would work? If it didn't, I don't know what would have happened. No one could have been hurt, or not. I just didn't know." Beast Boy sighed and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"No, I'm sorry." He muttered, trying to give her his signature impish grin. There was nothing more to say and they both knew it.

"Friends, if this is true, then Slade has done worse things than we could have imagined." Starfire said, looking each of them in the eyes. Her words startled them, but they were true. Before now, Slade had never actually killed anyone, or things never escalated to that level. Certainly, he threatened with someone's death, always one of the Titan's, but the thought never crossed their minds so blatantly before that maybe Slade _had_ wanted to kill them, but his plans were always interrupted. And now that the next step had been reached…everything changed. Raven frowned. With Terra back and her daughter…with Terra back Slade's plans became evident. Clearly he just lusted for power and Terra was only a tool to obtain what he wanted. But something didn't add up. Raven only knew so much about reincarnation and the Death arts, but something just _didn't _add up. If one were to put a dead soul back into a body, what type of body would be needed? Either way, Slade had killed someone, whether in body or in soul whether it had been willingly or not. But what had been the circumstances? Raven thought back to her books, and her heart dropped to her toes and a cold wave of fear and dread washed over her. She remembered…a chapter title. _Reincarnations._ She looked it straight in the face and passed it up as useless. Every answer to Slade's plans lay in that book, that _bloody fucking_ book and she had paid it no heed. She could have prevented this, prevented Terra's untimely return and she could have Aidan right here next to her instead of this...this...interloper.

Raven swallowed her rage and sorrow and turned to Terra, "Did Slade have any sort of book that he used? It'd be very old." Terra had seated herself in a chair, the only piece of furniture untouched by Slade's bomb. She seemed to consider this, Aidan's face taking on a thoughtful look. The action tugged at Raven's heart.

"Aidan remembers a book. She saw Slade reading it once."

Raven's anger and worry blazed anew. "Is she still in there? Is she still alive?" Raven demanded, resisting every urge to shake Terra by Aidan's shoulders.

Terra grew solemn, "I don't know. I'm assuming that since her memories are still present in her mind, she is. But I can't...feel her. Sorry." She replied, looking sadly at Raven. The worried mother swallowed her tears, though the emotion behind that watery effect still remained in her eyes. "I didn't ask for this. Though life feels great, I'd rather I stayed dead than take your daughter from you. Whatever I can do to help, tell me." Terra added, the absolute sincerity in her voice calming Raven. After that being said, how could Raven be angry with her? This wasn't her fault in any way. Slade was to blame, no question. She should direct her energies and emotions at finding solutions, not excuses. Raven breathed deeply – she had once suppressed her emotions because she had to, so she could do it again.

"Wait," Cyborg interrupted, confusion furrowing his brow, "If Terra's in Aidan, then how is Terra out there," He jerked his thumb towards the window, "with Slade?" Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg exchanged glances. Nightwing looked to Raven, and Raven stared at Terra, who already knew the answer.

Raven's eyes widened as the answer dawned upon her, "She's...the evil you, isn't she?" Terra nodded, "And you're the good half of your soul." She nodded again.

"Wait...what?" Beast Boy asked, confused.

Terra met his eyes, though it pained her to do so. It had been so long since she'd seen him, touched him... She pushed the thoughts to the side. More important things were at stake. "When Slade brought me back, he somehow separated me in two. Good and evil. Positive and Negative. The Terra out there is the complete opposite of me; anger, malice, hate. She has only ill intentions in mind, which is why Slade wanted that part of me. I'm no use to him; joy, sorrow, love. I'll only be in the way."

"All your power's with her." Raven stated rather than asked.

Terra nodded, forlorn, "Slade didn't want to take any chances. Whatever was in that book you asked about gave him everything he needed to know. If I had any power at all, there would be the chance that I might stop him and her, somehow."

Raven suddenly felt lightheaded and her head dropped into her hand. _Where could he have gotten that book?_ It wasn't one of hers – she'd always had seven. The greatest library of old texts and scrolls had been the library at Alexandria, and that perished centuries before, and the one on Azarath. Neither was accessible any longer. But Slade had obtained the book _somehow._ Raven felt like screaming in frustration.

Then it hit her. _Of course._ The city's library. The _original_ library. Where her father…came through. The library had been built on top as a ruse. Azarathian monks had been stationed there to guard what lay beneath. Those books, all those books. They were just sitting there for the taking. All that information in one place about so many things; and Slade had unlimited access to it. She'd have to take care of that later.

But now…Slade and Terra's evil counterpart needed to be stopped. Somehow this entire mess came to be and there had to be a way to reverse it.

The page titled _Reincarnation_ flashed in her mind, only serving to remind Raven how she failed to protect the city she lived in and the daughter she loved. First things first, she needed to brush up on her knowledge of the Death arts and find somewhere safe enough to protect whatever remained of her daughter. Then…Raven let her mind wander on the ways she would torture Slade for what he did to Aidan. The possibilities were almost endless. And if he didn't tell her how to reverse the reincarnation process, she'd figure it out herself. After all, she had all the time in the world.

Terra would be easy enough to subdue; Raven would not allow herself to be so overcome by her emotions again. This time, she could control it. She could control everything.

She looked back at her friends and settled her gaze on Terra. "Slade will come for you." Terra nodded. "Then we need to get you somewhere safe." She acknowledged the rest of her friends, "I may have an idea as to how Slade did this. For the moment, I need to read. Again." Casting a final glance at them, Raven motioned for Terra to follow her and turned towards the bedroom.

Nightwing caught her by the arm in the hall. "Are you going to be all right?" Raven avoided his gaze and looked at his hand clutching hers.

"I have to believe that she's still in there, despite what Terra says." Their eyes met. "I know she's still alive, Robin, I can't think otherwise."

"But -"

"There are no 'buts'." She whispered harshly, dropping his hand. "There is no second-guessing in this. She _is_ alive because if I even _dare_ to think anything else I won't make it. I won't be able to go on with anything _ever again_." She turned and entered the bedroom, shutting the door after Terra followed her.

x

Terra paced, hands crossed over her chest. Slade stood behind her in a relaxed military stance. His eyes traced her movements in annoyance.

"Remind me _why_ we are doing this again?" She glared at him.

Slade's eye narrowed, "Patience, Terra. Give the Titans the time they need. Then you can have all the fun you want."

She stopped and faced him, "How will I know when you're done?"

Slade sighed and walked to stand next to her. "You will know. Wait for Robin to figure it out; it won't take him long, but it will be long enough. By then, let them go." Terra opened her mouth to protest and Slade cut her off, "There will be plenty more opportunity later to enjoy yourself. This is merely a distraction."

Terra continued to glare at him and resumed her impatient pacing.

x

"You'll be safe here until we can figure all this out."

Terra looked around, taking in the stark atmosphere of Raven's mind. Her cloaked emotions stood around them. The one in yellow had a trunk at her feet.

"I don't see how -"

"The only way into my mind is through the mirror," Raven explained, "Beast Boy and Cyborg figured that one out on their own. Nothing can reach you in here and no one will know you're here, except the rest of the Titans." This really was the safest place Raven could think of, save another dimension. And dimension jumping would take too long and the risks were too extreme.

Terra seemed unsure but Raven couldn't help that. Whether she liked it or not, she _was_ staying here. Slade wouldn't know where Terra was, the other half of Terra wouldn't know where Terra was; therefore, safety.

Raven sighed, "As soon as this mess is figured out," _And Aidan brought back…_ "You'll be able to leave. Until then, you stay." Terra nodded and watched Raven as she sat in front of the large trunk on the ground.

"You can help me if you'd like; see if anything sounds familiar." Raven started, pulling books out of the trunk, "I don't expect there to be much else in any of them, but I don't have them memorized so there might be."

Raven opened up the same book she had earlier when in search of chakra stone information as Terra sat next to her.

This time, instead of ignoring it, Raven stopped on the chapter labeled _Reincarnations._

x

Nightwing paced, walking before the window and glancing out onto the city with each pass. Back and forth; back and forth. He felt like a sitting duck, just waiting for Terra and Slade to find them and attack. And Slade knew where they lived, so why wait? What was he planning?

Disgusted, Nightwing leaned against the windowsill, his gloved fingers clenching the wood. Every time Slade somehow managed to come back he fell into the old habit of asking the same questions over, and over, and over again. It didn't change – ever. Slade knew this and exploited it; he enjoyed ignoring the questions and creating new ones, enjoyed watching each of the Titans, especially Nightwing, writhe in torment at the sinister mysteriousness of the answers. But if the process was always the same, how in the _world_ did they manage to fall into the continuous pattern again?

Nightwing continued his pacing, casting glances at the closed bedroom door. His brows knit together as he thought back on his and Raven's most recent conversation. She was right to think Aidan still alive, and right to be angry with him for second-guessing that. But he always showed himself both sides, put forth both options and came to terms with them. Aidan was still alive, but not in her body; or, Aidan was dead and Terra stuck in her body. Though t he possibility of her death had occurred to him, Nightwing did not want to think about it; not yet. Maybe that was his problem; he thought about things too rationally. He left emotion out of the equation in order to complete the task at hand. And Raven…she couldn't feel anything for years and here she poured more emotion into everything than he could into anything.

But she had to see the other side. If she didn't…Raven could really lose it. Nightwing could see it happening and loathed the idea just as much as losing his daughter. He knew Raven loved him, but without Aidan…it just wasn't enough. Just like it wasn't enough when she left the team. They fell apart without her and Nightwing couldn't take another round of that.

So for now, Aidan was alive. No matter what.

The other Titans watched him pace, excluding Beast Boy. He stared out the window and occasionally looked at the bedroom door. Terra…was back. She was back. _She was back._ Every muscle in his body screamed to be happy, but he couldn't. Not in this situation. And that made him feel terrible. Beast Boy felt like he was betraying Terra by not being overjoyed to see her, even if she was in two forms. But how could he be happy when Raven's daughter was caught in the middle of this, possible dead, with Terra in her body? The whole situation made his stomach roll.

Beast Boy stared out the window, trying to find something to cheer him up. He watched someone walking down the street and tried to imagine what made them happy. But…that wasn't right.

"Hey, guys," everyone looked at him, "If Raven froze the city, how is that person moving?" He pointed at the figure as it emerged from the shadow of a building.

Nightwing's jaw clenched, "Terra." Everyone caught the glint of blonde hair off the sunlight. Raven would be fine without them.

"Let's go."

xxxxxx

Whoohoo! There you have it! And update. Dance, cheer, be merry, drink, etc, etc. Hate me, love me, kill and bury me and dance on my grave. Whatever the case, react! I planned to actually go on longer, but this seemed a good enough stopping point and I really just wanted to get an update out there as soon as I could.

Once again, if you didn't see my profile, a tremendous thank you to all that replied to the author's note. I couldn't have even hoped for such an amazing response within such a short timeframe. Truth be told, when I posted the note, I totally forgot about it until the next day when I saw all those emails! Spazztastic, I must say. Now that I'm officially on a roll and remember where I originally wanted this to go, I believe the updates will come much faster now. Hopefully. Y'know. It happens. Adios!


	8. Vermillion

Gigglesnort. Bwaha.

xxxxxx

**Silver Lining**

**Chapter Eight: Vermillion**

xxxxxx

"Oh Titans? Teen Titans, where are you?" The silky and malicious voice of Terra cooed, echoing off the silent buildings and still alleys. She sounded so much like her master; too much for some.

Nightwing jumped down from the shadows, landing in a crouch, and stood. Cyborg walked to stand next to him and Starfire hovered to the side. Beast Boy, in hawk form, let out a splitting cry and landed as a human.

Terra smirked, her cold eyes glinting. "My, my," she shook her head, "_Teen_ Titans seems to be a sad misconception." Her head cocked to the side, so much like an eagle observing its struggling prey. "All grown up now, have we?" Terra glanced at Beast Boy, the corners of her mouth curving seductively. Beast Boy shuddered, all shame gone; this definitely was not the Terra he wanted back.

"What do you want Terra?" Nightwing demanded, "Where is Slade?"

Terra's gaze snapped back to his, her entire countenance hardening. The smirk still remained. "Around," she said offhandedly, "and probably not having as much fun as I will be." Her grin widened, looking something akin to a very amused wolf, and her eyes glowed yellow. Nightwing whipped out his bo-staff as a large chunk of the street rose up behind Terra. He didn't even need to shout 'Titans Go!'.

Each exploded into action.

Starfire and Beast Boy took to the air and Cyborg's sonic cannon decimated the rising chunk of earth. Four more rose up in its stead.

Nightwing pushed off each boulder in a climbing effort to reach Terra. But she protected herself well and his every stab at defenses failed. However Terra came back, she returned with stronger and newer powers. Any of their hopes of immediately overpowering her were vanquished.

The pieces of earth grew so that they were almost as wide as the street, and her walls were nearly impenetrable.

Cyborg became caged in a solid stone box and Beast Boy rammed and slammed to get him out, much to his head's displeasure.

Starfire dodged streams of dirt and stone that hurtled towards her from the ground. The long missiles were good at hitting their target.

Nightwing inched closer, it seemed, to Terra with each passing moment. He broke through her last defense with a roar, "What is Slade planning?" Terra chuckled over the crashes and bangs of the battle. Beads of sweat dotted her brow and Nightwing took pleasure in her exertion.

"Nothing poor Raven hasn't probably figured out yet."

The comment struck a chord in his mind and soul and caused Nightwing to stop dead in his tracks.

_Raven would be fine without them._

What was he thinking? Slade was back, _Terra_ was back, so how in the world did he figure she would be all right on her own despite her powers? Slade had gotten to her in the past with ease and he nearly lost her then.

That was not happening again.

With a curse, Nightwing turned and ran away from Terra and the battle and his friends and made for their apartment as fast as his legs could carry him.

But would it be fast enough?

x

"None of these are any help." Terra sighed, setting the last book back inside the trunk. Raven still read the same chapter labeled _Reincarnation_. She repeated the words over and over again in her mind to try to make sense of them. Little scraps of sentences and words flitted around in her head, making it spin and churn.

_Soul... Death... Willing participant... Empty mind..._

The book explained two ways to reincarnate a lost soul. One, the body either needed to be dead but animated, somehow hollow, like someone in a comatose or brain dead state. Two, a willing participant, bent on the will of their creator. Their soul would pass on after the reincarnation took place.

The book mentioned nothing on splitting the soul into two opposite halves. Whatever tome Slade possessed had far greater knowledge of the Death arts than hers. Perhaps that was why the monks on Azarath kept such books from her – for fear that she would fulfill her destiny and use the secrets of the texts for ill. Some many things, if looked back on now, were so interconnected that the very idea made Raven sick. If she'd been given the books...Slade wouldn't have them. And she'd have her daughter. Terra would be gone. But the Titans wouldn't be here.

But things would be normal.

Raven could hardly remember what normal qualified as in her life anymore.

She doubted that Slade had found a willing participant to have their soul banished from their body to be replaced with a foreign one. Raven tried to imagine how he would have even done that – a newspaper ad? Perhaps notices tacked to telephone poles all over the city.

"**Wanted. Willing participant for reincarnation. Warning: death will result. Contact Slade."**

Raven's twisted humor made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.

So Slade managed to get his hands on a poor brain dead woman for his diabolical plans. Perhaps he didn't. Perhaps there was another way he managed all of this. Whatever the case, Raven no longer cared about the circumstances. What mattered is that it had happened and Terra _did_ come back and her daughter was...elsewhere. Gone.

All Raven cared about was finding out how to reverse the switch.

And all Raven needed to get her information was that book.

With a sigh, Raven snapped her volume shut and placed it back into the trunk. "I don't think any of them are going to be much help. The one we need," she stood, "Slade has."

"So what are you going to do?" Terra's expression tore at Raven's heart; that face still belonged to her child.

"I'm going to find Slade." Raven answered.

"And?"

"And gladly rip him to pieces for what he's done."

"I don't think that will get you the book." Terra reasoned.

"I'll do that after I get the book." Raven said sourly. "Once that's done, the book should tell us everything we need to sort this all out."

Terra swallowed, her throat dry. "You don't think I'll -"

Raven shook her head. "No. The reincarnation process is permanent unless, naturally, you die. The two halves of you will reunite in the other Terra's body." Raven couldn't be sure of her answer; it was based mostly on guessing and partly on instinct. But she was sure, somehow, that Terra wouldn't die and neither would her daughter. Somehow.

"And this is all a theory?" Terra asked, her voice low. Raven didn't answer.

She turned instead to her Intelligent counterpart to speak with her privately, "Don't tell her any more than she needs to know. And keep her here. I don't want another incident like with Beast Boy and Cyborg." Her yellow-cloaked equal nodded and Raven turned back to Terra.

"I'm going to go back to the others and tell them what I have," she frowned, "Or haven't learned. If anything goes wrong, you'll know. She'll," Raven nodded at Intelligence, "tell you. We'll get this sorted out soon." Raven tried to believe the words that came out of her mouth but the task was harder than it seemed. Where Slade was concerned, and now evil Terra, things could take a bit longer than expected to sort out. Whatever the case, it _would_ get sorted out.

Raven gave a final nod to Terra before exiting her mind.

She stumbled back to reality and righted herself before falling. Raven sat on the bed to gather her bearings before leaving the room to tell the others. But the rest of the apartment was silent.

But outside was not.

Raven darted to the window and gazed out at the street below. Terra, her mind seethed, took on the rest of the Titans in what seemed to be an equal match on the streets below.

Why would she be stupid enough to do that? Unless there was a plan behind it, like Slade always seemed to have on hand.

Not caring, Raven turned away from the window, prepared to phase down and help when she stopped with a gasp. Every inch of her went cold and she had a hard time concentrating over the erratic pounding of her heart.

"Hello Raven." Raven's hand flew instinctively to her stomach in hopes to protect what resided there. His eye followed her movements and she could detect the smile in his voice. "Miss me?"

She could run. She could phase down to the streets below. She could do whatever necessary to get away from this madman. She could do all of those things.

But she didn't.

With a wild yell, Raven flung herself at Slade, using every possible martial arts move that Robin taught her to fend him off. He seemed surprised by her sudden action. Raven threw things at him with her powers, knowing that while he had Aidan's chakra stone she could do no more.

There was no way in hell this was the logical thing to do. But Raven was faced with the monster that took her daughter away from her and pure maternal instincts seized control and she didn't want to fight them. He. Must. _Suffer._

Somehow, Raven managed to barely keep up with Slade and his deadly moves.

And then something pricked her arm, and the hit she had been expecting from Slade never came. She looked at her arm, and her eyes widened at the sight of the syringe in Slade's hand and the drop of blood welling up from the injection site.

She managed a slight 'Oh' before the drugs took effect and she went down.

x

Nightwing pounded up the stairs, too impatient to take the elevator. If he was right, time was of the essence.

If he was right...everything had gone to hell.

He entered the apartment shouting Raven's name and barged into the bedroom, half-expecting to see her there, confused, and reading some book. The other half of him expected Slade.

He found neither.

The room was a mess. Things were strewn all about, like a tornado came rolling through. His mind tried to rationalize. Maybe Raven was still in her mind. Maybe she was still reading, with Terra, in safety.

But no. That would be too simple, too _good_ to be true. When they left, the room was not in this state of disarray.

He was right.

_Everything had gone to hell._

x

sdkubhldkbrkbhger. HAIII. I'm terribly sorry I died, but it couldn't be avoided. Actually, it could have, but whatever. All that matters is that I HAVE A NEW CHAPTER OUT. Feel free to dance, flail, party, weep, etc or whatever. I actually had quite fun writing this chapter, and if my style seems kind of off today, that's because I was kind of off when writing it. I was very loopy. Yah. So. Review, please, and tell me what you think.

I'd like to get the next chapter out before November rolls around, (since it's SO CLOSE) and I get whisked away in the mayhem that is NaNoWriMo. There're only a few more chapters to go, though! I approximate two, but that's just me. Perhaps there will be two and an afterward? o And please, bring on the theories. I believe this chapter spews quite a few, eh?


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